Rep member-elect, Tunji-Ojo, has been cleared of a petition against him by the Labour Party (LP) in Ondo State. The LP and its candidate, Badmus Ademuyiwa, voluntarily withdrew their petition at the Election Petition Tribunal in Akure, concerning the Akoko North-East and North-West Federal Constituency election. Consequently, the three-man tribunal dismissed the petition in accordance with Article 29 of the 2022 Electoral Act, following its withdrawal.
The LP and its candidate had lodged the petition against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, alleging that the party’s logo was omitted from the ballot paper during the election. They had requested a fresh election in the federal constituency. However, the LP, through its counsel Femi Emodamori, declared their decision to discontinue the petition.
Emodamori stated that the withdrawal was based on the fact that if the petition were successful, the LP candidate would be unable to substitute the withdrawn candidate, rendering the petition futile. In response, an APC chieftain, Olumuyiwa Asagunla, expressed satisfaction with the withdrawal, considering it a significant accomplishment for Mr. Tunji-Ojo, the APC in Ondo State, and the overall development and peace in the entire Akoko North Federal Constituency. The LP candidate cited the pursuit of peace and the well-being of his community as the motivations behind his decision to withdraw the petition.
